Fiery Earth: Leaving Me Behind
by Emedy Linaira
Summary: Katuna faced the challenge of running away. But she gathered courage, and succeeded. But now her best friend who helped her face this challenge is gone. Forever. And Katuna has to find her. Even if she has to do it alone. DISCONTINUED.
1. That Flowing Feeling

**_Fiery Earth: Leaving Me Behind_**

**Chapter One: That Flowing Feeling**

I was sitting on a bench after dinner. I felt the cool night breeze on my face. I thought about the night my mom told me what happened when I was born.

I was 5 years old. "The elders had said there was a twinkle in your eye that determined if you were a waterbender or not. They said that you were." My mom said.

"Then am I a waterbender?" I asked her.

"We don't know yet, my dear Katuna. But we shall tomorrow when we give you waterbending lessons." My mom answered. Waterbending was my favorite thing at the moment. I wanted to bend the water and make it flow with my direction. I thought it was so graceful.

The next day, as excited as I was, couldn't waterbend. Though my teacher was telling me exactly what to do, and in an encouraging way, I just couldn't do it. I was in melancholy for weeks. But I learned to accept it.

Then, I thought I had a feeling inside me. It felt like water flowing. Maybe it was Chi. "No way! I couldn't bend!" I thought, so I let that feeling go.

The next day's lesson passed fairly quickly. I kept trying to concentrate on striking the dummy with my sword, but I just couldn't help it but think about the flowing feeling I had yesterday. Maybe it was Chi. Maybe I just can't bend water. Maybe I can bend EARTH! I would try it tomorrow because there were no lessons.

It was the next day, and I was sitting on my bench again. I thought about all that happened since I was 5.

Father's hometown was Gaoling, and Mother's was the Southern Water Tribe. When they got married, Father moved to the Southern Water Tribe along with his mother. Then they had me. And they found out I couldn't bend. After I had discovered this, though I was 5, I considered myself a failure. I told Mother about this. She taught me something very valuable and something I would keep in my heart throughout my life.

"You have to learn to accept what happens in life. You cannot go back in time and change what happened. And you should not call yourself a failure. You aren't a failure. It isn't your fault that you aren't a bender. It's nobody's fault. My dear Katuna, since we have no other reason to be here in the Southern Water Tribe, we will move to Gaoling." she said.

"Gaoling? Do you mean where Father was born?" I asked Mother.

"Yes. There we will meet up with the Bei Fong family, childhood friends of your father's. They have a little girl just your age you can play with."

I had become close friends with Toph Bei Fong. She was blind, but she could feel the vibrations in the earth to "see". She told me her secrets. She was an earthbender, a very powerful one.

Then, I remembered the flowing feeling. I had intended to see if I could earthbend. But I didn't like the way earthbenders stomped, punched and kicked to bend. It wasn't graceful.

Maybe I can alter this! I thought, Maybe I can bend earth in another way!

Ok, let's try this...

So I raised my hand in a way a waterbender would so the earth would follow. To my amazement, it worked!

I tried a variety of waterbending moves I had seen Mother do.

As I bent the earth, I decided to keep this a secret, but not from Toph. I would keep no secret from her.

Then, I heard footsteps come into my direction...

End of Chapter One That Flowing Feeling

**Disclaimer: I got reminded of this when I read that Avii almost forgot hers! I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. **

Emedy


	2. The Avatar

**Fiery Earth: Leaving Me Behind**

Chapter Two the Avatar

Fortunately, I had dropped the earth I was bending just in time. It was Toph's mother.

"We request your presence in the parlor. Master Yu and Master Kina have come to report your progress in your lessons." My gaze dropped to the ground as she said this. I hadn't been doing too well in sword fighting.

I quickly entered the room. They talked about how we could improve…….blah blah blah. I needed to have some time alone with my thoughts.

"_Your father and I are going on a walk, Katuna. Do you want to come with us?" My mother said. _

"_Nah. I want to play with my goose-rabbit. See you later." I replied._

"_Good bye, now." And they walked out the door. I waited hours and hours, but they never came back. I kept imagining the worst. I had nightmares of them getting eaten by monsters, and them drowning in the ocean. "I am an orphan_." _I thought._

The Bei Fongs adopted me, and I was quite delighted. If I was adopted, then I would have more time with Toph. But I didn't realize that I was a secret from the world, for I was only five.But soon I did.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden burst of shouts.

"WHO DARES COME TO MY MANSION UNINVITED?!" My father yelled.

"The Avatar, sir." The servant said. I noticed Toph frowned when the servant said this.

A few minutes later, we settled in the dining room and had dinner with Avatar Aang his friends.

"What's with the Avatar?" I muttered under my breath.

"He's the one that beat me in the Earth Rumble. He also tried to get me to be his earthbending teacher earlier in the gardens." Toph whispered.

"How'd he get in?"

"Climbed over the wall."

"I need to talk to you after dinner." I said, and Toph nodded.

Then Aang (the Avatar) and Toph kept on earthbending each other, but I didn't pay attention.

Later that night, I went to see Toph in her room.

"I can't believe it! You can earthbend?" She exclaimed, as I showed her what I discovered earlier in the gardens.

"Yeah, but I bend it like water. I think it's because my mom was a waterbender." I said. Toph's face suddenly became solemn, and looked away.

"Hey, are you going to tell Aang?" I asked her, hastily changing the subject.

"Tell what?"

"He saw you as the Blind Bandit. How are you going to explain that?"

"I think I'm going to let him in on the secret. And I might even teach him some earthbending."

**Emedy**


	3. Secrets Revealed

**Fiery Earth: Leaving Me Behind**

Chapter Three~ My Best Friend's Secret

"What are you doing here?!" said Aang, surprised by our sudden entrance.

"We have something to tell you."

*~~~~*~~~~*

"I 'see' with earthbending." Toph said.

"But why don't you tell your parents?" Aang asked.

"They won't understand. I'd save the world, and they'd still try and 'protect' me from any threat." Toph sighed.

"Oh. Well what about you?" said Aang.

"My mother was from the Southern Water Tribe, and my father from here, Gaoling. My mother was one of the last waterbenders there, other than my cousin, Katara—"

"I know Katara! She's traveling with me right now. She's the watertribe girl." Aang interrupted.

"Really? Well, anyway, I was born there, and I moved here, Gaoling, when I was five. We lived close to the Bei Fongs." I said, and I gazed into the trees. "And one night, my parents went outside for a walk. But they never came back. Toph's parents adopted me, and that's how it's been ever since."

"I'm sorry." Aang said knowingly. I wonder what has made him feel my sorrow.

"It's okay. What's happened has happened. I can't change the past. And that was seven years ago. I can barely even remember what my parents look like." I replied. "Anyway, my father traveled to the Southern Watertribe, met my mother, and they married, and had me. The elders of the tribe said I had a brilliant glint in my eye that meant I was a waterbender. When I was 4, my mother enlisted me to train with Master Kya Otawa [pronounced _Kee_-a Oh-_tah_-wha]. She was a talented and skillful waterbender. The master was kind and gentle; she encouraged those who couldn't do it. But when I tried to waterbend, nothing happened. _I couldn't waterbend. _And since I couldn't waterbend, then my parents no longer had any reason to stay in the Southern Watertribe. And they knew there was going to be another Firenation raid soon. So they left and moved here, Gaoling. That all happened before they…." I couldn't continue. But they understood.

"And we were thinking that maybe we could come with you. And I can teach you earthbending." Toph said.

I smiled. "It's time to leave the shadows and into the light of the world outside of these walls." I blend of feelings was going on inside of me. I was excited to have a great adventure, but was also a bit nervous; who knew how many dangers lurked outside of these walls, but soon I would learn the large number.

All thoughts were cut off as two metal boxes suddenly came lumbering down on Aang and Toph.

"Xin Fu! I know you're out there! Let me out, now!" Toph yelled.

As to answer Toph's strains, many of the Earth Rumble contestants either popped out of the ground, or jumped from the wall to the ground along with Xin Fu. Thinking quickly, I imprisoned Xin Fu in a spiral of earth and raised a wall to block attacks from the other earthbenders. Unfortunatly, I wasn't experienced enough to know that a simple barrier of earth could not stop half a dozen master earthbenders' boulders. I was knocked out.

*~~~*~~~*

I woke up again with my hands tied behind my back expertly and feet binded together in a tight earth ring. A dirty gag was also fixed into my mouth. I opened my eyes only to face blind darkness, the great barrier to all joy and happiness.

**~Emedy **

**_Author's note:*dun dun dunnnn* I left you all in a cliffy! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!! Ok on with my message: I know there's not much action, but there will be, soon. And like most stories, it will get better. BTW, Katuna is pronounced Kah-TUNE-uh._  
**


	4. Running Away

_Note: I will sometimes add something in between "[" and "]" so you may understand the story better and just hear my thoughts as you read._

**Fiery Earth: Leaving Me Behind**

Chapter Four~ Running Away

I pratically chocked on my gag as I tried to spit out the dirt clinging to my tongue.

"Be still!" a gruff voice said behind me. I could feel a pull on the binds around my hands. I wriggled away from what I thought was the source of the voice.

"Stay where you are! I'm here to help." This time the voice was a tense whisper, quiet enough that only I could hear him, but there was also a hint of friendliness, and I hoped that it was really there.

The boy took the blindfold (thank goodness that Katuna's not blind) and the gag out of my mouth. Then I heard the sharp _swish! _of a small dagger and another. I looked around at my surroundings while rubbing at where the rope had scarred me.

I was in a plain, small metal cell. And that was it. Just metal everywhere, except for the boy. I surveyed him. He had jet black hair and a face that was covered in scars. A well built body also covered in the remains of previous war wounds also. He wore a typical brown farmer boys' outfit with a small knapsack. But what he wore and how he looked did not capture me. It was his eyes, they were pure amber, and according to a very reliable scource, so were a firebender's eyes. I was going to interrogate him about that, but our situation was too dangerous for questioning. I made my phrases quick and simple.

"Name?" I whispered.

"Naku. You?"

"Katuna. Where are my friends?"

"Other cells. Bender?"

"Earth." I answered. Naku seemed dissapointed in that. But he concealed his emotions quickly.

"We're rescuing them, but we must be stealthy. There are only guards in the entrance of the prison, but the doors are close to this cell. I have all the materials we need to get you and your friends out of here. Let's go." He explained. I merely nodded, keeping the chance that they were going to be caught at a minimum. I followed him along the stark metal hallways. The ceilings were so low, I had to bend my head down, and Naku had to bend his knees. We soon came to a door. Naku knocked lightly over the lock and put his ear against it. He smiled slightly, as he discovered something. Then the amber-eyed boy took a light green girls' hairpin and slid it into the lock. Turning it, the lock clicked quietly and Naku grinned. He put the hairpin in his knapsack and took out a can of oil. He oiled the hinges of the metal door carefully. The door swung open without a squeek.

"Katuna!" Toph exclaimed quietly. The grim corridors and the dark, dirty cells can make you voice sound alot quieter than you think. I put my finger to my lips to indicate silence. Toph nodded and followed us out the cell's door.

Toph let the door slam shut. "No!" Naku warned, but it was too late.

"You! Naku!" A guard yelled. He grabbed a torch from its holder and lit it up with....his.....finger? I noticed he was garbed entirely of red and black armor, a sign of the Firenation. _Where are we? _I thought. This wasn't any simple Earth Kingdom prison. There were Firenation insignias everywhere I looked, what I didn't notice before because there was so little light.

"We have to leave this place!" Naku shouted. He didn't care for our silence anymore. We were caught. [I decided against ending the chapter here simply because it wasn't long enough, even if it would have been a good place.]

"But what about our friends?" I said. We hid behind a wall.

"There's too little time. And, I can't free them when there are a hundred Firenation soldiers on my tail!" Naku responded. _I,_ he had said. It was as if he didn't need our help at all. It probably was true, and I was used to that, because I could do so little before. But I need to change. I need to be a totally different person because I'm free of my foster parents' walled estate. _I'm free. _The words hit me in the chest hard, as if it were bad news instead. And this different person must be inside of me _now_, because I need her to save our new-found friends.

"If you can't, I will!" I said back at Naku with confidence I didn't have. My chain of thoughts were actually quite useless to my courage. But it didn't matter how great my bravery was, but my love. [I know I'm always talking about all her thoughts and stuff, but I really need to so Katuna can clear her mind. I promise, this is the last one.] Naku looked at me with understanding. He held out the small dagger he used to cut me free.

"Take it." He said, and I did what he told me to do. I found my hand fit it well.

"I'm coming too. I'm not leaving my best friend!" Toph said. I smiled and nodded.

Then I took a deep breath and put on my bravest face, and left Naku. We ran towards the closest cell and knocked.

"Who is it?" The words I knew were of the Water Tribe girl's, what was her name? Oh yes, Katara, my cousin. The words were fearful, just as my heart was when I first saw Naku and his amber eyes.

"It's us. We're here to bust you out." Toph said. I stabbed the dagger into the metal door and was rewarded with a loud _clang! _and heavy footsteps in our direction. Our temporary cover was gone; we had to work fast.

**~Emedy**

_Wow, longest chapter I've written. Hope you enjoyed it! This one's my best so far._


	5. Naku

_Author's Note: This chapter is mostly about Naku and his life in the Firenation. (yep, Katuna guessed it.) BTW, Naku's name is pronounced: NAH-koo. Same thing as last time, my thoughts are in the story. Enjoy!_

_**Fiery Earth: Leaving Me Behind**_

**Chapter Five~Naku**

I tried desperately to run the knife across the metal door. We were running out of time; the soldiers were going to reach us soon.

"Come on, metal!" I said, as if it would obey me, least of all listen to me.

"Here, let me try." Toph said and took the dagger from my grasp. She held the small blade in one hand and touched her other hand to the metal directly under the dagger. She circled her free hand around and around the patch of dirty metal and finally punched it hard [sorry, Toph doesn't realize she can metalbend here!]. She smiled a little smile, even thought I saw no change in the metal's physical properties. But I believed that Toph did something, something that would get us and our friends out of this dirty prison that was in the Firenation. Toph slid the knife downwards and did what I failed to do.

"You did it!" I whispered. [I don't think what happens next is that important, and you could probably have an accurate prediction of what happens next. If you want me to write that part, just tell me and it'll be here once I finish writing that part.]

*~~~*~~~*

We got Sokka, Aang, and Katara out just before the guards got to us. We sat down behind a gigantic boulder to discuss the situation we were in.

"Phew! I thought we were going to get caught, again!" Aang said.

"Hey, any idea where we are and why we're here?" Sokka said.

"Nope. Not at all. But I think we're in the Firenation and that guy, Xin Fu, had his earthbending friends imprison us here cause he thinks that we cheated him during the _Earth Rumble VI._" Toph explained. Turning back to me, she said: "Hey Katuna, where's Naku?"

"Yeah, where _is _Naku?" I said, looking around. There was no one across the land for miles, except the guards trying to find us of course.

"Who's Naku? A guard?" Sokka asked.

"No, you idiot! How would we know a guards name? The first time we saw a guard was when he heard us trying to get you guys out! What did we do? Shake his hand politely and ask his name?" Toph exclaimed, annoyed.

"Calm down! Do you want the guards to hear us?" I said, and Toph lowered her head. "Anyhow, Naku is a nice boy who managed to break in my cell and Toph's. If it weren't for him, you would still be in that dirty jail."

"Oh. Well nevermind about random nice boys. Let's get out of this place. If you don't want to be caught again, that is." Sokka said. I nodded, and set off to the east, because according to Aang, that was the way to a canyon where we would be comletely enclosed by rock walls and no one would see him call to his flying bison, Appa, with his whistle.

*~~~*~~~*

[Naku's POV--this is a version of a scene from a writing assignment from school.]

I sprinted from the prison and out into the empty plains. _It is time to go, _I thought, and I jumped into the air and propelled out into the sky using flames that danced out in the open. Gradually the plains below me faded into forest. I allowed the fire to dance slower and slower until I was five feet from the ground. There, the flames went still and I dropped to the ground, landing on my feet on balance.

"Finally I get the landing right." I muttered. I had been practicing that for months. "Ok, back to business." I observed my surroundings. The typical forest setting. But you can never be too careful. I stayed stone still and listened intently, sweeping my eyes across the forest. My ears caught a small _crack! _in the background and I swiftly turned my head towards the sound; a strip of red was dancing among the trees. I creeped steathily until I was merely a yard from the twisting crimson.

I waited a few minutes, and then my hand shot out and grabbed the end of the red ribbon. It struggled against my grip, but finally a slender figure materialized around the ribbon.

"You got me! Again!" Kani exclaimed. Her real name was Makani, but she liked Kani better.

"You were the one that left your hair ribbon loose!" I said, laughing.

"Hmmph!" She turned away, but I knew that she was secretly hiding a smile. Kani was my sister. She never liked her hair tied in a bun, but loose. She loved how it tossed and turned in the wind. I think she looks better without the ribbon.

Kani turned back my way and grinned. "You finally got the landing down?" As if she didn't know already.

"Yep! How's your 'eternal flame' going?" I asked.

"Pretty good. I've gotten to half an hour. But you know what Master Kido always says."

"'Still not good enough!'" We said in unison. I loved my twin sister; she seemed to understand me most, and I her, and because of that, we got along very well.

"So what adventures did you go on?" she asked.

"You know that prison on the other side of the forest?" I replied.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I saw a group of kids that were wearing foreign clothes being escorted into the prison, and one of them was knocked out. She looked like she was an earthbender. So I went inside to investigate, cause you don't always see a bunch of kids going to jail. I got the girl and her sister out, and then we got caught. I told them we had to go or else we'd be locked in there forever, but the girl wanted to rescue her friends, so I gave her my dagger and here I am." I explained.

"Your dagger?! But that was the one Father gave to you! I thought you'd never leave it out of your sight!" Kani said with a puzzled look on her face. Our parents were dead, and I loved my father a lot; the dagger was the only thing I had as a memento. Then Kani's expression softened from a look of confusion to one of great understanding. "I get it. You don't have to tell me, I already know."

What she knew I wouldn't find out until months later. [it does determine Naku's fate, but it has nothing to do with fighting or stuff like that.]

**~Emedy**


End file.
